Global Public Health Careers

“Public health improves our quality of life, helps children thrive, reduces human suffering and saves money. Every day, the public health field is working – often behind the scenes – to prevent hazards and keep people healthy. For example, public health is responsible for: tracking disease outbreaks and vaccinating communities to avoid the spread of disease, setting safety standards to protect workers, developing school nutrition programs to ensure kids have access to healthy food, advocating for laws to keep people safe, including smoke-free indoor air and seatbelts, working to prevent gun violence, addressing the impact of climate change on our health, and declaring racism as a public health crisis.”

Read more and watch short videos from the American Public Health Association.

“International/global health addresses the health of people living in low- and middle-income countries (sometimes known as developing countries). Many times, it also includes the health of displaced or traveling populations. Health concerns in these populations include not only infectious and tropical diseases (such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases and malaria), but also chronic and non-infectious diseases. The field of global health addresses all the same public health issues that are domestic health concerns, like mental illness, trauma, gender-based violence, age-related illnesses and conditions. However, the solutions to these issues must be innovative to address unique challenges with international populations.”

Continue reading at Explore Health Careers.

Information Gathering

Read trade magazines, newsletters, and popular websites in your industry area. Places to start include Global Health Now, Public Health Newswire, Center for Strategic and International Studies and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Subscribe to blogs and newsletters, follow industry insiders via social media; and research the types of positions that are available in those fields. Company websites, O*NET, and the Occupational Outlook Handbook are helpful resources. You must show not only an interest, but also knowledge about the industry.

To learn more about careers in global health, read this guide to public health careers which includes specialties and in-demand skills. Check out Global Health Careers: How Can I Make a Difference?, 50 Top Public Health Jobs, and 50 Awesome Public Health Jobs (by degree level).

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Making Connections

Attend employer information sessions, industry events on- and off-campus, and connect with popular professional organizations regionally and internationally. Most relevant professional associations in global health include American Public Health Association, World Health Professionals Alliance, and Society for Public Health Education. If you are interested in infectious disease, get connected to the The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and/or International Society for Infectious Diseases. Professional associations host a variety of professional development, educational, and networking events.

Joining groups on LinkedIn related to your industry is a great way to meet new people, find mentors, contacts, and ask questions. Also, reach out to alumni through Hoya Gateway and Georgetown’s alumni page on LinkedIn. Our website provides helpful guidelines on networking and informational interviewing.

Making Connections at Georgetown

Georgetown offers a number of opportunities for Hoyas to get involved. Joining a school club is an excellent way to learn more about the industry, develop your skills, and get hands-on experience. The Global Health Institute on Georgetown’s campus provides coursework, events, and fellowships to help students gain exposure to global health research and careers. Some global health-related clubs include Georgetown University Students for Health and Medical Equity and UNICEF.

Serve communities that lack adequate access to health care globally with GlobeMed  and Project RISHI  or regionally with the Center for Social Justice  and GU Students for Health and Medical Equity (GUSHME) . Learn about local health issues while giving back to the DC and campus community by volunteering with groups, such as Caring for Children with Cancer, GU Oncology Patient Support, and St. Elizabeth’s Outreach. For more student club information, visit Campus Groups.

Increase your research skills by joining a lab around campus. Georgetown’s Center for Research and Fellowships offers research opportunities during both the academic year and summer months. Participate in research and get published in the peer-reviewed Georgetown University Journal of Health Sciences and present at the Undergraduate Research Conference. On and off-campus jobs are another excellent way to build skills valued by employers. 

Preparing Materials

To better understand what skills you need to highlight on your resume, check out internships, fellowships, and entry level positions in the behavioral and mental health industry. See our resume and cover letter pages for more tips and advice.

Applying

For listings beyond our campus recruiting platform, Handshake, visit Idealist, devex, Global Health Council, Global Health Jobs, Public Health Jobs, PublicHealthCareers.org and 80,000 hours, and USAJOBS job boards.

Select Employers

  • Government: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | National Institutes of Health | Food and Drug Administration | USAID | Peace Corps | HHS’s Office of Global Affairs | U.S. Department of State | Top 10 Government Agencies for Public Health Jobs
  • Bilateral/Multilateral Agencies: Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) | World Bank Group | UNWomen | United Nations Development Programme | United Nations Population Fund | UNAIDS
  • Nonprofit: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Doctors without Borders | Save the Children | | The Carter Center | Global Fund for Women | Center for Reproductive Law and Policy | American Refugee Committee | Kaiser Family Foundation | International Red Cross | Research-focused NGOs